Las Vegas witnessed a standout performance from rising middleweight Ateba Gautier at UFC 324, where he earned his fourth straight victory inside the octagon on Saturday. Gautier, known for quick finishes earlier in his career, surprised many by lasting the full three rounds against Andrey Pulayev, ultimately winning by unanimous decision.
Before this fight, Gautier’s record included only one other bout that went the distance, which ended in a split decision loss early in his professional journey. In this latest showdown, all three judges agreed in favor of the Cameroonian fighter, solidifying his status as a promising contender in the middleweight division.
Gautier Reflects on the Fight and Proves His Endurance
After the bout, Gautier spoke openly about his performance and endurance.
“I feel good. I really feel good,”
he told media members, including Cageside Press.
“I feel it’s a good fight, good experience. I usually go for one round when I fight. I don’t train for one round, but it [the finish] always happens in the first round.”
Showing confidence in his stamina, he added,
“Now I’m happy. I proved to people— people say all the time that I don’t have the gas tank to go for 15 minutes. So now I proved that I have to gas tank to go for 15 minutes.”
This statement was followed by a more direct challenge to his doubters:
“I’m happy to show them— shut the f*ck up, bro. I can go for 15 minutes.”
Despite the blood he sustained during the fight, Gautier downplayed the damage, saying,
“Blood is blood. Just red water, that’s it.”
Looking Ahead: Paris Fight and Challenge to Marvin Vettori
With an eye toward 2026, Gautier expressed eagerness to maintain an active schedule and specifically mentioned a desire to compete in Paris, a city with a large Cameroonian community.
“Yes, obviously I want to fight on UFC Paris one day. There’s many people there from Cameroon. It would be also good to fight in front of people from my country. It would be cool,”
he remarked.
Turning toward potential opponents, Gautier issued a clear callout to former title challenger Marvin Vettori, known as “The Italian Dream.”
“I’ve got a name, I’ve got a name. I want to fight Marvin Vettori. I want to fight him. He’s also a tough guy, so let’s go for a fight,”
he declared, emphasizing his readiness to face a seasoned competitor.
Explaining why the matchup would be significant, Gautier said,
“It would be fun, it would be fun to have this test of fighting a tough guy. Show him I’m here, I’m here, it’s my time, no matter what. I just proved to you, he’s always going three rounds now, he’s tough, hard to get knocked out. Now I showed them I can go for three rounds as well, so let’s go now.”
Implications for Gautier’s Career and the Middleweight Division
Ateba Gautier’s ability to endure three full rounds and secure a unanimous decision win marks a key milestone in his evolving career, demonstrating that he can maintain competitive pressure beyond his usual quick finishes. His callout of Marvin Vettori signals his ambition to climb higher in the division and face established fighters to test his skills further.
With plans to fight in locations such as Paris and an eye on challenging well-known opponents, Gautier is positioning himself as a rising force within the UFC middleweight ranks. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how the UFC responds to his callout and whether a fight with Vettori can be arranged in the near future.
